By TheDailyNewsHub
Lagos State House of Assembly lawmaker Desmond Elliot has publicly apologised to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, in a fresh move to reconcile with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.
Elliot was seen in a video circulating on social media kneeling and prostrating before Gbajabiamila while pleading for forgiveness over his actions during the party’s last primary election in Surulere.
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse; I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry,” Elliot said in the video, adding that he hoped to conduct himself better in the future. He also appealed for forgiveness in line with Yoruba cultural practice, saying, “Emabinu daddy, emabinu sir.”
The latest gesture comes months after a bitter political disagreement surrounding the APC primary for the Surulere Constituency I seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Elliot, who had sought another term in the Assembly, withdrew from the primary, alleging intimidation and political pressure against his supporters. He subsequently rejected the outcome and indicated that he would challenge the process through the party’s internal appeal mechanism.
The primary was eventually won by Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who secured 11,385 votes, while Elliot polled 270 votes.
In his latest apology, Elliot reportedly acknowledged that his thinking had misled him during the political dispute and accepted the verdict of the people of Surulere. He also pledged to renew his loyalty to the leadership of the APC in Lagos.
The development marks another attempt by the former Nollywood actor to repair his relationship with Gbajabiamila, whom he has repeatedly described as his political mentor.
In May, Elliot had already apologised to Gbajabiamila during an appearance on TVC’s Your View, saying he regarded him as an elder brother and that he had learnt much of what he knew about politics from him.
“To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way,” Elliot said at the time.
The disagreement between the two politicians had also been linked to the political crisis that engulfed the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2025. Gbajabiamila had earlier disclosed that Elliot’s alleged involvement in the crisis surrounding the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker nearly cost him his position as Chief of Staff to President Tinubu.
In the latest encounter, Gbajabiamila granted Elliot an audience and embraced him after the apology, in what reports described as a gesture of reconciliation following the political disagreements.
The renewed rapprochement could signal an effort to restore party cohesion in Surulere and Lagos as APC stakeholders look ahead to future political contests.